Austra Introduce New LP ‘Olympia’ With Upbeat, Operatic ‘Home’

Toronto electroni-pop act goes big for sophomore LP

The last time we checked in with Austra, the dark electroni-pop act was a three-piece overseen by Katie Stelmanis, a former Fucked Up contributor with an operatic voice and a palpable affinity for Kate Bush. The group’s 2010 debut Feel it Break was a promising start, but the band’s been touring since (with the xx and Grimes among others) and accruing members along the way. Austra is now a fully collaborative sextet with a new LP on the way: Olympia, due June 18 on Domino.

“This is the album where we discovered rhythm,” said Stelmanis via statement. “We are really into dense harmonies and big beautiful melodies, but I also love techno and dance music. I wanted to bring those elements together.” Indeed, first taste “Home” combines her expressive vocals with dramatic instrumentation and a surprisingly lithe beat. Best of all — that hand percussion and those flute flurries are real. Austra eschewed samples and even loops on this one, giving the forthcoming full-length’s 12 songs an additional assist where grounding in concerned. Speaking of ground, Austra will be covering a good deal of it beginning next week with SXSW and picking back up in June. Check the tour dates and Olympia’s track list below.

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